Six years after joining AJ Bell as head of investment research, Ryan Hughes (pictured) has been promoted to head of investment partnerships.
Hughes’ arrival at the investment platform coincided with the launch of its managed portfolio service. His new role will see him focus on its bespoke MPS for advised clients.
“With this service gaining increasing popularity,” the company said, “Ryan’s new role enables him to take a dedicated focus on portfolios within this growing area of AJ Bell’s investment offering.”
Kevin Doran, managing director of AJ Bell Investments, said: “Our client investment solutions, including our MPS and in-house funds, continue to be extremely popular with AJ Bell clients.
“Ryan has been central to the success of our MPS and this new role will enable him to focus on our bespoke MPS offering, with portfolios built in partnership with adviser firms according to specific needs of their clients.”
Alena Kosava hired as head of investment research
The move sees Alena Kosava, who was previously head of collectives at Avellemy, the DFM MPS sister company to Ascot Lloyd, become head of investment research.
Kosava stepped down from Avellemy in May after just 14 months.
Prior to this, she was an analyst on the UK equity team at Tilney Smith & Williamson, where she worked for seven years.
At AJ Bell, Kosava will be responsible for the analysis underpinning the firm’s core investment solutions across the business.
This includes its core MPS offering risk-targeted portfolios with active, passive and blended options; AJ Bell’s own funds providing diversified investment exposure through a choice of funds built for growth, income and responsible investment objectives; and the Favourite funds list.
The appointments are the latest in a series of changes at AJ Bell, which revealed last month that founder and CEO Andy Bell is to retire in October and Matthew Brennan, head of investment management, had exited after nearly five years.
A new chapter
Doran added: “Alena brings strong experience in analysis, research and portfolio management to the investment team, and we’re delighted to welcome her to the business.
“Her appointment exemplifies the growing strength of our team of investment experts, which underpins the success of our investment offering at AJ Bell.”
Of her new role, Kosava said: “This is an exciting opportunity to join one of the UK’s largest and best-regarded investment platform businesses.
“AJ Bell’s solutions are founded on an exceptional product offering, compelling pricing structure and strong performance. I am looking forward to this new chapter and to developing the proposition for our clients as the business continues to grow.”
Hughes added: “Our partnership model has been growing quickly and I’m looking forward to working even closer with our clients in that area. I will continue to work very closely with Alena and her team to ensure our portfolios keep on delivering exceptional outcomes for our clients.”
